Michael T. Hensley

Michael Hensley is a national trial attorney with a practice focused on complex commercial, First Amendment,  labor and employment, restrictive covenant, and professional malpractice matters. He focuses on high-exposure individual matters, national class actions, and multidistrict litigation. He routinely litigates on behalf of clients in complicated cases across the country. Michael also leads and conducts internal investigations for corporations involving workplace conduct and serves as the outside general counsel for a number of midsize businesses. Michael represents clients in a wide range of industries, including health care, technology, real estate, media, financial, manufacturing, transportation, telecommunciations and environmental.

The core of Michael’s practice is trying cases before juries. Michael is recognized by his clients for his ability to present complex concepts to juries in an easily understood and relatable manner. He has a proven record of aggressively trying cases to verdict and is known for his creativity in creating leverage to yield favorable settlements. In addition to his reputation as a leading trial attorney, he has also argued before multiple state appellate divisions and the U.S. Courts of Appeals.

Michael serves on the board of trustees and is a member of the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey, the Commercial and Federal Litigation Section of the New York State Bar Association, the Business and Corporate Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association, and the Philadelphia Bar Association.

Michael is the office managing shareholder of the firm's New Jersey office and chair of the firm’s national Business Litigation Practice.

• Trial attorney obtaining favorable settlement in the middle of a consumer fraud trial in Bergen County, New Jersey.
• Lead trial attorney obtaining defense jury verdict of multimillion-dollar exposure matter venued in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and securing affirmance on appeal
• Trial attorney obtaining defense jury verdict in age discrimination and retaliation matter venued in Middlesex County, New Jersey.
• Lead trial attorney for an international diagnostics laboratory in professional malpractice, employment, restrictive covenant, and commercial matters across the country.
• Co-counsel for an international diagnostics laboratory in nationwide data breach class actions and multidistrict litigation.
• Lead trial attorney for international real estate brokerage in restrictive covenant, employment, and complex commercial matters in New York and New Jersey.
• Lead trial attorney winning temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, and permanent injunctions in restrictive covenant matters in New Jersey, New York, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.
• Co-counsel for software provider in Daniel’s Law litigation in New Jersey.
• Lead trial attorney securing dismissal of all claims, and affirmance on appeal, of libel claims in New York County in one of the first NY anti-SLAPP matters.
• Lead trial attorney for prominent website in a First Amendment issue of first impression in New York and New Jersey, winning dismissal of lawsuits seeking to compel disclosure of anonymous posters.
• Lead trial attorney for advocacy organization in high-profile First Amendment and libel lawsuit arising from the allegation of teacher's removal of second-grade student's Hijab, securing dismissal of all claims on appeal prior to discovery.
• Lead trial attorney for an international sugar company in complex commercial and employment matters in New York, New Jersey, and Ohio, including trying, to a successful verdict, a commercial arbitration hearing involving claims for breach of contract and business torts.
• Lead trial attorney winning the dismissal of a $300 million fraud case against a firm client venued in New York City involving the Las Vegas monorail.
• Lead trial attorney winning motions to compel arbitration in numerous employment matters in New Jersey.
• Outside general counsel to international packaging firm responsible for all legal issues domestically and overseas, including litigation, corporate, transactional, real estate, and employment issues.
• Lead trial attorney for pharmaceutical company in complex commercial litigation across the country.
• Lead trial attorney for international telecommunications company in complex commercial matters in New York and New Jersey.
• Lead trial attorney for product manufacturer, a public company, winning injunctive relief in preventing forced transfer of shares to shareholder.
• Lead trial attorney for an international energy company in environmental and commercial matters across the country, including Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming, Missouri, and New Jersey.
• Lead trial attorney for an international chemical company in environmental and commercial matters in New York and New Jersey.
• Lead trial attorney for an international packaging company in environmental and commercial matters in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
• Lead trial attorney and regional counsel for a banking client in complex commercial litigation in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
• Lead trial counsel for various law firms and attorneys in professional malpractice matters in New York.
• Obtained a complete reversal and remand on appeal to the Pennsylvania Superior Court in a restrictive covenant matter for a corporate client.

• The Best Lawyers in America, Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants (2025–2026)
• New Jersey Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Magazine (2017–2025)
• New Jersey Rising Stars, Super Lawyers Magazine (2011–2016)
• New York Metro Rising Stars, Super Lawyers Magazine (2012–2016)

No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

• American Bar Association
  • Business and Corporate Litigation Committee
• Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey 
  • Board of Trustees
• New York State Bar Association 
  • Commercial and Federal Litigation Section
  • Commercial Division Committee
• Philadelphia Bar Association

• “How to Try a Case in Federal Court,” Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey (December 14, 2021)
• “Taking and Defending Depositions: Strategic Tips and Techniques,” New York City Bar Association (May 17, 2017)
• “How to Take Your First Deposition,” New York City Bar Association Bridge-the-Gap: Corporate and Litigation Seminar, New York, NY (July 21, 2016)
• “Navigating the Default Judgment and Beyond,” New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (February 3, 2016)
• “Practical Skills, Ethics, and More,” New York City Bar Association Bridge-the-Gap: Corporate and Litigation Seminar, New York, NY (July 22, 2015)
• “How to Take Your First Deposition,” New York City Bar Association Bridge-the-Gap: Corporate and Litigation Seminar, New York, NY (January 30, 2015)

• Principal, Bressler, Amery & Ross, P.C., Florham Park, NJ (2011–2022)
  • Co-Chair, Business and Commercial Litigation Practice (2019–2022)
  • Associate (2008–2011)